Low, but Polarized GPA, and Applying for MS in Chem E

andrew1007 · 10-09-2012, 04:47 PM

I'm by no means an academic superstar... and I've made the the huge mistake of not doing any undergraduate research. My only redeemable non-class oriented bit of academia is my senior thesis/research paper, which I am very proud of.

I graduated from UC Santa Cruz recently, with an overall GPA of 3.12, and a major GPA of 3.28 in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry. Turns out it was a terrible major choice for me- I have straight C's in every biology class I've taken (which was part of my major). If you discounted the 6 biology/biochemistry classes in my major (so only chemistry, math, physics), my GPA would be a 3.62.

I've taken the GRE, and my scores are as follows:
Verbal: 153 (57 percentile, old scale 500)
Quantitative: 165 (92 percentile, old scale 790)
Writing: 4.5 (73 percentile)

My letters of rec are from professors where I have done well in their classes, but do not know on a personal level- they will be solid letters of rec, but not stellar. All I want is to get into a mid-tier MS program in chemical engineering. What do you guys think? If I explain my low major GPA, would I still be competitive for a mid-tier chem e program?

sciencenerd · 10-09-2012, 09:21 PM

You actually have a decent GPA and fantastic GRE scores.

Good luck! Try applying all over the board. You might even get into some of the higher ranked ones.

Also, just wondering what is your reasoning for getting a Masters in ChemE with a Chem major? (I have a Chem degree too.)

andrew1007 · 10-09-2012, 10:50 PM

Oh really? I see all these people posting on this site with absolutely stellar qualifications, and it makes me so nervous!

I was originally taking the pharmacology route, but I absolutely fell in love with the physical chemistry series. I'm currently underqualified for too many jobs with my undergraduate degree, and I don't want to get a PhD, so MS was the way to go.

I've seen the opportunities presented with an MS in chemistry, and they did not appeal to me. I see ChemE as a nice compromise between studying what I enjoy and a sustainable career in the future.